The Clearing

Composition

The two large tree trunks on the left perform a very important role. They act almost like pillars or a gateway, establishing depth and framing the view beyond. The dark branches across the top create a natural canopy, so the landscape feels enclosed and private.

The lake then curves gently into the distance. That curve prevents the composition from becoming rigid and guides the eye towards the luminous centre-right passage.

The long shadows in the foreground are particularly effective. They create strong diagonals leading into the scene while also making the sunlight feel more intense. Light becomes visible because of the darkness around it.

There is a theatrical quality to the construction: the foreground resembles a darkened stage, and the water beyond becomes the illuminated performance.

Colour

This is one of my boldest early palettes.

The greens are highly saturated and varied. We have cool turquoise foliage, deep forest green, vivid yellow-green grass and warmer olive passages. That variety prevents the scene from becoming a single undifferentiated mass.

The warm oranges and ochres on the forest floor are especially important. They introduce complementary contrast against the greens and make the landscape feel sunlit rather than merely colourful.

The small blue flowers in the foreground are a lovely detail. They are not essential to the composition, but they reward closer viewing and add a sense of life and delicacy.

The colour is more heightened than naturalistic. Yet that feels appropriate here. This is less an observed forest than an idealised memory of one.

Emotional reading

This does not feel like wilderness.

It feels like refuge.

The dark trees provide protection rather than threat, while the opening beyond suggests warmth and safety. The viewer stands within shadow but looks towards light.

That makes the painting quietly optimistic. It is about emergence: leaving enclosure, moving towards clarity, or simply discovering beauty in an unexpected place.

Darkness surrounds the viewer, but the landscape opens ahead.

Gallery catalogue description

Where the Light Falls

Painted during the artist’s first year, Where the Light Falls reflects an early fascination with woodland atmosphere and the transformative power of sunlight. Dense trees frame a secluded body of water, while shafts of illumination break through the canopy and travel across the forest floor.

Inspired by the luminous landscapes of Viktor Yushkevich, the work embraces heightened colour and idealised natural beauty. Cool greens and turquoise shadows are interrupted by golden foliage, warm earth and reflected light, creating a landscape that feels remembered rather than strictly observed.

Although rich in detail, the painting already anticipates a central theme in the artist’s later work: darkness is rarely presented for its own sake, but as the condition through which light becomes emotionally meaningful.